Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Tuesday's Forecast
Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Patchy rain or drizzle
Rain on and off, or generally drizzly - total amounts small, but may be persistently damp, especially where hills are shrouded in cloud.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Cool to mild
Air temperature 5 to 10C on higher terrain. Comfortable temperatures on lower terrain, but feeling chilly if exposed to wind higher up, especially if stationary. Pack extra layers.
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Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Patchy rain or drizzle
Rain on and off, or generally drizzly - total amounts small, but may be persistently damp, especially where hills are shrouded in cloud.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Cool to mild
Air temperature 5 to 10C on higher terrain. Comfortable temperatures on lower terrain, but feeling chilly if exposed to wind higher up, especially if stationary. Pack extra layers.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Tuesday 7th July 2026
Last updated
Mon 6th Jul 26 at
4:21PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Windy over high terrain, strongest in the morning, again later in Scotland. Damp and murky north and western Highlands, more persistent rain at times. Some improvement southern Highlands in afternoon. Often dry for northern England, but higher fells shrouded in cloud. Brighter for Wales as cloud thins.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Windy, gales early and late. Damp, lowest cloud toward west.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly 35-45mph around dawn, strong gusts over tops 50-55mph; easing through morning into middle of day to 25-30mph. Toward evening, increasing again from west to 35-45mph with stronger gusts some slopes.
Effect of the wind on you?
Challenging in exposure early, gusts knocking you off balance and significant wind chill. Easing but staying strenuous, then late in day more difficult again.
How Wet?
Patchy rain, mostly west
Rain drifts from the west, patchy and often light in nature; some extended steadier falls mainly Monadhliath to north Cairngorms in morning, again toward evening. Often only odd spots reach further east where largely dry.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive, high breaks forming east
Covering many hills to middle elevations early, lowest west where locally to 400-500m, some ragged lower patches in early rain. A lifting trend, to around 700-800m Monadhliath/west Cairngorms, eastern areas seeing breaks approach 1100m or briefly higher.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%, to 40% east
Sunshine and air clarity?
A few glimpses of weak sunshine, best toward eastern glens afternoon. Very good visibility below cloud; sudden changes on high terrain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
9 or 10C, rising slightly, to 12C eastern hills. Feeling near or just below freezing in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Wednesday 8th July 2026
Last updated
Mon 6th Jul 26 at
4:21PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West to southwesterly 15 to 25mph, occasional 30mph around high tops, mainly early in the day, gusty at first.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small, but some noticeable gustiness in places not just on high tops, mainly in the morning.
How Wet?
Rain unlikely
Rare fine drizzle mainly west of A9 if in early low cloud on windward slopes.
Cloud on the hills?
Varied early patches clearing many hills
Banks of cloud around mid-slopes in morning, most extensive near/west of the A9, may linger for several hours. Patches may remain near Ben Alder, largely clearing elsewhere. High tops above 1100m may start above cloud.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
40% rising to 80%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Varied cloud and sun in morning, then increasingly sunny with fair-weather cloud. Visibility good or very good.
How Cold? (at 900m)
12C rising to 16C afternoon, locally 18C easternmost hills.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Thursday 9th July 2026
Last updated
Mon 6th Jul 26 at
4:21PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 15 to 25mph, possible gusts over 30mph some higher slopes early in day, tending to drop lighter with time.
Effect of the wind on you?
Mostly small, but feeling blustery early in the day around some higher slopes mainly higher Cairngorms.
How Wet?
No rain expected
Cloud on the hills?
Varied patches, largely clearing
Patchy cloud around some slopes early in day, high tops likely above the cloud. May drift higher up onto some tops for a few hours, tending to disperse or lift above most summits into afternoon.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
80%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sunshine and broken cloud. Some patchy early mist, otherwise visibility mostly very good.
How Cold? (at 900m)
12C rising to 16 to 18C afternoon, warmest east and northeast areas. Feeling like 5C if exposed to stronger breeze in morning.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
A drier and warmer window builds into the middle of this week: very warm in England and Wales. Still low cloud persistent especially toward northwest Scotland, but spells of sunshine spread northward, and lighter wind. Some rain late this week in western Scotland though mostly light and patchy, many places dry. High pressure expands across Scotland through the weekend bringing more widely clearer hills, dry and warm conditions in the extended outlook into mid July - easterly winds likely develop, particularly England and Wales; a chance of some isolated thunderstorms occasionally.